Kraken at Lightning Game Preview: Back to the grind

Game Fifty-six: Seattle Kraken (25-29-4) at Tampa Bay Lightning (31-20-4)

Time: 6:00 PM EST

Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa

TV/Stream/Radio: FDSNSUN, KHN, KONG, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning -258

Know the Opponents: Davy Jones’ Locker Room

Things couldn’t have lined up better for the Tampa Bay Lightning as they return to action after the 4 Nations Face-Off break. They’re well-rested and facing a team that is on the backside of a back-to-back that is possibly starting a rookie goaltender. The Kraken helped the Bolts out on Saturday by beating the Florida Panthers, 2-1, in Sunrise on Saturday, and their reward is to face a Lightning team that hasn’t played since the ninth of February.

With Joey Daccord getting the start in Sunrise, rookie Ales Stezka could be inline to make his NHL debut. The 28 year-old was recalled earlier this month when Philipp Grubauer was assigned to the AHL. After being drafted in the fourth round by Minnesota back in 2015, Stezka’s hockey journey took him from the USHL back to Czechia and on the verge of quitting hockey. He found his game playing in the Czech Extraligua before Seattle signed him in the summer of 2023.

The Lightning are also going to be boosted by the return of J.J. Moser to their line-up. The young defenseman was skating with Victor Hedman on the top pairing at practice yesterday and seems set to return to action for the first time since mid-December. His addition to the line-up seems to have slipped Nick Perbix out of the rotation with Darren Raddysh dropping down to play with Emil Lilleberg.

While the Lightning enjoyed their break, it did come at a point where they seemed to have righted the ship after a sluggish start to the 2025 portion of the schedule. After a rocky beginning to the year they picked up four straight wins, scoring 20 goals over the stretch. After watching chance after chance go wide or ping off of the iron, it seems that the Bolts’ luck is changing for the better.

We’ll get a look at the forward combinations during the morning skate as Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel haven’t practiced since returning from the 4 Nations tournament. Nikita Kucherov, who missed the Lightning’s last game, was at practice and should be good to go for tonight. In their absence, the Lightning rotated in prospects Gabriel Fortier and Jesse Ylonen, who have since been returned to Syracuse.

With 27 games to go, the Lightning are looking to solidify their playoff position. Their four-game winning streak advanced them into the third spot in the Atlantic Division, now they can work on moving up and possibly securing home-ice advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs, currently in second place, are just four points ahead of them as play starts today. Even the Panthers, who are just five points clear of the Bolts are within striking distance.

With things still bunched up in the conference, the Lightning still need to pick up as many points as they can, so taking advantage of a team that played yesterday would be a nice way to start off the final third of the season.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Seattle Kraken Lines

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